Thor’s Forgotten Ragnarok Power Could Signal The End of His MCU Story

Thor’s Forgotten Ragnarok Power Could Signal The End of His MCU Story
Thor's mastery over lightning, last seen in his fight against Hela's undead army in Thor: Ragnarok, would be the ideal sign of a final triumph in his MCU journey. The character arc seen throughout Thor's various MCU appearances has focused on his worthiness. From believing himself to be the rightful heir to the Asgardian throne to losing everything and eventually overcoming defeat, Thor's development has progressed a great deal, to say the least. By the time Thor: Love and Thunder rolls around, Thor will likely have recovered most of his lost confidence. However, there may be many more lessons Thor needs to learn before he truly becomes the God of Thunder.

Ever since Thor: Ragnarok, the legendary Mjolnir has lost its might. Hela destroyed Thor's hammer effortlessly, and Odin helped Thor realize that his power actually comes from within. Thor harnessed lightning and cut through Hela's soldiers like a knife through hot butter, proving just how powerful he really is. However, Asgard's destruction and Thanos' arrival at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War seemingly caused Thor to take some steps back, as he then put all his efforts into forging Stormbreaker at Nidavellir in order to face the Mad Titan. Thor's guilt over not killing Thanos had an even bigger negative impact on his mental state, as he decapitated a weakened Thanos, but he ultimately wasn't able to do much damage to the villain's time-displaced variant during the Avengers: Endgame finale.

Dealing with trauma is a long and arduous process, and even though Thor appears to have left his dependence on food and alcohol behind in Thor: Love and Thunder, he still seems to rely on Stormbreaker to properly channel his power. This crutch is a great way to keep the fight between Thor and Gorr the God Butcher fairly balanced, but it's also a subtle way to prove that Thor didn't just forget about his pain overnight. Thor may look healthier with a leaner physique, cleaner hair, and shiny new armor, but the aftermath of the Infinity Saga may still hurt him underneath that facade. Eventually, the God of Thunder must face his insecurities head-on, and the best clue that could prove that he has finally reconciled with his past is seeing him once again wield lightning without the use of a weapon.
One said that could remind Thor of his tendency to rely on a weapon is the sight of a repaired Mjolnir. Jane Foster is set to wield Mjolnir in Thor: Love and Thunder, where the broken pieces of the hammer will somehow bind together and grant Jane the power of Thor. With his ex-girlfriend owning the hammer, armor, and helmet he once prided himself in, Thor may realize that there's still a long way to go before he reaches the definitive culmination of his journey, just like Steve Rogers did. But unlike the original Captain America — whose inner drive was always to find peace with his loved one — Thor's conclusion could be his transformation into a fully-fledged God of Thunder, finally mastering lightning without a throne or a weapon to channel his might.

Whether Thor's farewell entails a final sacrifice or a peaceful retirement to Valhalla, the end to his MCU story feels distant at the moment. For now, Thor: Love and Thunder continues the Asgardian hero's character development with a Thor who doesn't use his full power. Still, his awe-inspiring abilities in the final battle of Thor: Ragnarok remain a small taste of what he could eventually become.


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